It feels like it has been a while since I have done a quilting post. I have two small quilts that I am finishing the stitching on the binding, so I will share those in my next post. In the meantime, I want to talk about how I hang my quilts. I have had several people ask about it, so I will share a few ideas.

The method that I typically use involves sewing a rod pocket to the back side of the quilt and using a flat stick to attach it to the wall. The quilt then hangs nice and flat to the wall as shown below.

Harvest Time

I start by cutting a 5″ wide strip of fabric and pressing it in half with wrong sides together. Hem the ends so that they are about 1/2″ in from the edge of the quilt as shown below. I attach the rod pocket to the quilt after I sew my binding to the front side, but before I hand stitch the binding to the back side of the quilt. I sew it to the back side of the quilt with a 1/4″ seam allowance, or something slightly less than the binding seam line that is already there.

The rod pocket will then look something like this – with a loose fold that needs to be hand stitched down.

BTW – This method will also work if you are stitching your binding down by machine as shown below.

The top edge of the rod pocket will be concealed when you stitch the binding to the back side of the quilt. You will also need to hand stitch the fold of the rod pocket down.

You are now ready slide the rod through the pocket and hang the quilt. I use a flat piece of wood that is about 1/4″ thick by 2″ tall. This is pretty easy to find at the lumber yard. It needs to be cut to length – about 1/2″ less than the width of the quilt so that the stick can hide behind the quilt. Drill a hole in the end of the stick and hang it on a small nail. Slide the quilt into place so the stick is hidden.

You can also use a rod pocket to hang quilts with scoped edges. You just need to turn the 5″ strip into a tube and hand stitch down both folds as shown below.

Hopscotch

Curtain rods also make good hanging devices. They are slightly more costly than the stick from the lumber yard, but you don’t need to cut to length or drill any holes. They are easily adjustable to any size, so that makes it really easy.

I prefer curtain rods that are flat to the wall – with no round finials. I especially like rods with several different scrolls because this allows you to hang it from different places without moving the nails. This is handy if you rotate different size quilts in the same location, like I do.

If you don’t have a rod pocket on the back side of you quilt, you can also use curtain clips with the rod. Like this:

Simple Gifts

Or this:

Center of Attention

There are lots of other places to hang quilts around the house – besides walls – such as over chairs, couches, doors, etc – that require no rod pockets.

Gypsy Girl

In my studio, Joel made me a quilt rack that is really fun to use. It’s quite large, so it can hold lots of quilts. Right now, I only have 5 quilts on it, but you can fold them smaller to fit more on display.

Here’s a close-up of the set-up. He made a box and there are closet pole holders hidden within the box. The closet poles hide behind the quilts.

Summer Stars

That’s all for now. If anyone else has any ideas, feel free to tell us in the comments or share link!

13 Responses to Hanging Quilts

I’ve used curtain rods before, but they typically extended further from the wall than what your picture looks like. Are there brackets that would be closer to the wall? Also, if you are going to hand stitch your binding over a rod pocket, do you need to be sure you stitch all the way through the rod pocket in into the batting of the quilt? Thanks so much….

I don’t use the brackets that come with the rods. I just use a small nail so that the rod stays nice and tight to the wall. I don’t usually worry about going through all the layers. If you only go through the top layer, the machine stitching right below will hold everything tightly together.

Your quilts are so beautiful! I hang mine similarly, but I like the idea of the adjustable curtain rod with the flat scroll ends. Very pretty, and I also like to change my quilts with the seasons. Thanks for sharing your gorgeous quilts and great ideas!

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Hi! You have reached the blog of designer Heather Mulder Peterson. I design and publish quilt patterns, along with a few other things. I hope you'll stop by often to see what's happening in my little world!

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